Follower block



C. BERGMANN FoLLowER BLOCK Nov. 4, 1930.

Filed Jan. 7, 1929 2 Sheets-Sheetr l C. BERGMANN FOLLOWER BLOCK Nov. 4, 1930.

Filed Jan. 7, 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 .Another object is to produce a bloclrieadily removable from a filing cabinet.v

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Fig; 2 is a fragmentary section i 1' c) .n :E *T 1. .the linea-2 o big.

Patented Nov. 4, 1930 l ,unirse STATES OF PENNSYLVANIA 'I y i "1,780,861

CONRAD BEReiviAivN, or PHILADELPHIA, rENNsYLvANiA'AssIGNon `'ro coLUiifiBiA sfrnnnneuirirnnr COMPANY, oriHILADELPrine,PnivivsYLvAivrA,:nconroraarioiv f roLLoWnR BLOCK .ippneauon mea January 7,1929. seriaiiio. 330,728. Y

This invention relatestoa follower block for a filing cabinet. or the like, and is moreparticularly. concerned with ay newand improved manner ofjsupporting andvadpisting the follower block. if f v 1An 'object of the invention is toproduce a new and improved rform of follower block Another. object ist'o produce a V follower block on which pivotal arms are arranged to normjallyengage stops'along the side ofa filing cabinet. I, v

Another object is to .produce a follower block onl which arms are pivotally mounted,

the arms engaging stops alongthe sideof `a filing cabinet, which stops normally permit movementrin one direction only. Y

follower Still another object isl t0 proiducea follower-block having,V a readily demountable locking means.

Yetanother object is to produce a'follower Ablock for. a` filing cabinet havingf locking means therefor, the said means being readily demountable asa result of the removal of a ll'l; Y Y A g, Other objects will appear hereinafter. i l In the drawingswhich illustrate one eX-v emplification of my'invention,

Fig., 1 isa vertical transverse Vsection through a drawer or compartment of a filing .cabinet yemploying a ,follower block in accordance withmy invention;- v

takeny on Fig. u3 isa section taken on theI line'S- of lTiO. 2' and'showing details; f

b nl, n l n n e .i g.- 4 is afsectional view illustrating the contact shoe when removed fromy engagement with the upstruck ratchet elements;

portion comprised principally' of the membei' 2 of substantially channel section having alongitudinally@extending recess 3Linl the bottom thereof, valso' of substantially channel section, and; having outwardly-turned horizontally extending ,lange's'lfand 5 at the longitudinal extremities thereof. In order to properly reinforce the drawer,':the member 2 is' preferably provided at `its corners with angle members Sand-7 which act as bearings for theicompartment against the guideplates of a filingcabinetf '1y f p To further reinforce vthe drawer or com# Apairtinent, the lower extremities of the bears-5` ing Vmembers 6 and 7 are .dowiiturned to provide flangesyS fand19.A AThe flanges A andl 5 preferably engage andaresuitably. secured to` suitable anglefmembers 10V andf11said angle members providing outwardly extending recesses.` As will be evident from an inySpection-.of Fig. 2,` each recess is provided with a plurality of instruclr Vportion-s 12,;all extending inthe same direction, fora purpose which will. be described hereinafterg i Bearing membersl havinga central web Maud side flanges lfand 16, rest. on' the flanges 4 and and are,movabletherealong.l 'j

At one end thereof, each .bearing member 13 ,fis `provided with a member 17 extending upwardlyV fora short distance from-the lower Harige 16. "Above kthe members 1'?, arms 18,

extending at right-angles to the web-14C and secured thereto by means of portions 19 bent at right-angles tothe main portion` 18, are adapted to impart movement'to the bearing members 13 along the flanges et and '5, respectively. It will be noted'that vin'` the iiori mal-position of the bearing member 13, thev Ustop membervl'? is adapted to ride'by theupstruck ratchet elements 12 when it is `impelled in one direction but to'contact with the sharp edges thereof when an attempt is made i to draw it in the opposite direction.- 4 v 'Y Each. arm 18k is preferablypassed v,through aslot in an angularlyA bent portion of aguide member V20. said members being provided alongthe vertical edges offa follower. rplate 21. i These guide members 2O are the sole Y supports on the follower plate for the arms 18 and the locking means therefor, which-are to lbe described hereinafter. v Thearms 18 are provided with notches 22, asshown in Eigs;V ,Y

i 11 fandfl, whichppass through co-operating i' t Y openingsQSand 24 arranged in a lifting plate 1 25k. VItrlisto bennderstood that the'openings l 23 and 24 are to be of greater extentthan the f notches-Q QZhav'e been out thereinin order to 'perinit pivtin'gfof fthearms' about the l openings. Retainingmembers 26 va'ln'lt the" rear OfLplateZ Vand areshoysfn asbeing proali'ded on, their adjacentv ends with ou'tturned Width ofV arm material remaining after the :in the lifting plate-25 and fbeingsecured 1 therein `by suitable retaining means such as a cotterpin' 30; Preferably, the bearing members are formedfof dissimilar material from i 'that of the recesses. *For instance, ifthe'frefcess is painted in' keepin'gwiththe remainder y ofthe drawer, the bearingmemberswill be of .Y bare metal, toiprevent'adhesion between the i207' g il, l Y 1 VVhent Surfaces;

' thgulde members 2o, alla ehreugll lthe en., Vlice's"2 fand 24 in the lifting vplate 25 landare secured fin `position by 'the cotter pin;V VV30; they arethenin a position to 'belifted;'upwardlyY `fas aresillt of yertical `inoyement of the lifting j fplate.' Asrwill'bejobviousfrom a'njilrspe'lc- -tidnfof ig-f41, siichfliftingI movement 'oflthe -larmfs'lylS resultsin an inwardjlnovement of the Contacteren? and a corresponding 61a;-

fwa'rdinoyement of the ilange i145 of th'ebear- Y member 13.; 'Y This llvithdrail/sv 'thecontact memberl? from the-line :of Contact with the' "ratchet member'l''and permitsfsliding of the followerblockf-Zl"in either y direct/ion# Y yspring 31 isse'cured at 32' to the lifting plate 25am at 'sa fo" aile' flloyvefueclel, gw'llleh l Qa'cts toreturn the corn-act shoe :Nhte-regislatllilth .th ratchet Ihiibersl; Ulli@ ff@- leese `pfIk @nella ',member. with are mecha l Je will ams be Seamen met@ alle nevel onstructionis prodil'ced as )a` 'result of "my inyention, susceptible lto 'numerous n" "difi'ca Q ti jns,`and itis intended-'that the socioecf the :invention belinrited only by the accompanyf ing tclaifnfsl` f '-Qlilf Y' 1. vInv iillng compartment having side Vwal-ifs,,llongitudinal recesses extending therealong,f ratchet 'members arranged longitudi- Vnally of 'the sides' (5f-Said sidewalls, a folflower block with-in* said 'cabinetfarranged VfforffsaifdY` follower blio'cl'xv;A extending along said lrecessesffand ha-yinga "Contact, linemb'er "thereon Afor"cont-acting withf'sai'd ratchet menillge ms is have,been'pflssedlllrough bers .to normally permit movement of the fol-y lower blockv in but a single direction, and a single means for actuating` both bearing mem-v bers tO'Tel-eSegthe contactmember OfPerHlt j movement of the'follower block in both direc` tOlSV i 'A' Y 2.,*In' a `filing compartrnent'havingrecessesk along the sides thereof and ratchet members Valongthe-sides of said recesses, a follower,

block, and elongated guide members lforlsaid follower block, movable alongsaid.; recesses,

fr eachgujide memberhaving an outturned,ver

tically extending flangel forming ak stop mem'- y n ,Y beratone end thereof,norrnally cooperable f .l g

withv said ratchet Inembersto lock the guide -n'iembers inone,v but notin the opposite direction.

3; Ina filing compartment havin-g recesses Y extending along the longitudinal sides there# of, said recesses each having'alongitudinally e'il'jelding' ratchet/ member jlll'Ilg Substantially vealcallyiarfanged mear, a' for. lowerk'block,'armspivotally'mounted oils/:aid followerlblofck and extendingfontwfardlyfrom the Sides therebf; guide members saldarecesses, to which saidarrns arey connected', and l a stopvmember on each of saidarrfns, fc`oojg er able withl saidfratchetjlhenlberto normally locik 'the' follower 'blockiin-afsingle 'direction Yon'yfv i Qi f j 4;. oli.r filing'compartmentfhavingtfrecesses f .f etendlngalong the interorfof the longitudinal walls' thereof, a ratchetf'member "eXtend-v l ,lng longitudinallyrof each of said recesses,- YSaid ratchetmemberhavingsubstantially 'ver-j ticallyearranged teeth,1afolljower block', arms rplyotally mounted onV 'said *follower/block and terminatingyin beari'ngg l'Inen'aloerS-traversiingfsad recesses` andi-being Y'providediwith Y stop members normallyengagiiggsaid ratchet Y Vmembers'to lock-V the fol-lower b-lock-in one Y direction only, anda single instrumentality on VSala:l0-llevarblock, by'fwhleh YSaid: arms.

may bel actuated' abourthelfr pivotalmountings to disengage the 'contactshoes from the .'ratchetmembers,lwhereby the follower block mybe'moved in both direalns, n 5.' VIn a follower block for 'a'y filingcoinpartmentvwllereln the follow'efblock le:nomally prevented` from. movement lin `one direction byl means of; plvotally 'mounted arms'fnormall'y lengaging` ratchet Vmembers nvert-ic'a'll'ylla."

arranged along theinterior of 'the-lolyl'gitiudi-Y strumentality fordi'sengaging saidarms from nalwalls of saidcompartment', a singlefinfflac said ratchet members comprisinga'plurality l same direction, a liftinglplate havingfa finger"engagingflmember, a longitudinal 'slotf therein through whichsaid flanges extend,

Alocking Vmeans securing l,said flanged endsv inplace v`in said slot,=said arnlszengaging said --lo'cling plates, whereby'motion "of the lifting pla'te is imparted to the arms; laoVv i Y' of retaining members providedattheirfad-` gac'ent edges wlthv flanges extending in lthe Y 6. In a filing compartment, side walls, inturned ratchet members instruck along said side walls and arranged inlongitudial series therealong, a follower plate in said compartment, arms pivotally engaging said follower plate. along the sides thereof in such manner that they are adapted to swing through substantial vertical angles, said arms extending outwardly from said follower plate to normally abut said inturned ratchet members and having engagement therewith permitting movement of t-he follower plate in one direction but contacting with said ratchet ymembers to prevent movement in the opposite direction and a single means on said follower plate for actuating said arms to remove them from contact-with the ratchet members to thereby permit free movement in both directions. 1

7. In a follower block for a filing compartment having locking means along the sides thereof, arms pivotally mounted on said fo1 lower block and terminating in bearing memly arranged arms pivoted on said follower block and each yhaving a flanged portion secured to one of said ybearing membersand having a notch adjacent its inner end, and a y i l single liftingplate arranged between said arms in which the notched portions of the Y armsl engage, said lifting plate having rearf wardly-extendng flanges adjacent` its sides, said flanges having vertically-elongated recesses therein, which recesses are adapted toV pivotally receive the notched portions of the adjacent arms whereby lifting movement imparted to the plate will be translatedto pivot the arms on the follower block about the fulcrums provided by the lowermost edges of the recesses, and means for holding and guiding said lifting plate. j

c CONRAD BERGMANN.

bers, guide members on said follower block., y

through which said arms extend, a lifting plate having inturned flanges along its longitudinal edges, said lifting plate having recesses adapted to receive and guide the said arms and a longitudinal opening therein, re-

taining members having their adjacent ends' flanged and extending through said opening, said retaining members abutting said lifting plate adjacent said recesses to secure the arms in place, and said inturned flanges of the retaining members being secured together,

whereby vertical movement of the lifting'v plate will result in consequent pivoting of the arms. Y

8. In combination with arling compartment having opposed side walls adjacent faces of which are provided with longitudinally-extending ratchet members, a transversely-extending plate arranged between said side walls, transversely-extending arms pivoted adjacent side edges of said plate and adapted to coact with said ratchets at their outer ends and means supported and guided from the follower plate and having engagement with the inner ends of said arms fo'r simultaneously vertically shifting saidinner ends to cause disengagement of the outer ends from said ratchets. Y

9. In combination, a follower plate havin pivots adjacent itsvside edges, arms engaged with said pivots, aV vertically slidable member at the center of the plate having engagement with the inner ends of said arms and means normally maintaining said slidable member in a position projecting the outer ends of said arms to the greatest possible extent.

10. In a filing compartment having recesses along the sides thereof providing bearings, a follower block, bearing members fitting in said recesses, a plurality of transversessv 

